Opera Scotland

Scottish Opera's Utopia, Limited released

Posted 24 Jul 2025

At the end of 2021, Scottish Opera mounted a generally excellent production of The Gondoliers, which many will recall being televised. 

Scottish Opera also used the same singers to put on three semi-staged performances of the next (and penultimate) G & S offering, Utopia, Limited. Following those performances at Glasgow Theatre Royal and the Edinburgh Festival Theatre, the production was recorded at the company's Edington Street workshops, and has now been released on the Opus Arte label.  A third performance, at the Hackney Empire in London followed in the New Year.

The recording provides an excellent souvenir of the enterprise, and stands up well in comparison with the old D'Oyly Carte version, made a full half-century ago. The new discs have an extra advantage in that five extracts (largely choral) are included from Sullivan's incidental music for the play King Arthur, commissioned by Sir Henry Irving in 1895.

There is one cast change compared with the live performances - in the important role of King Paramount. The stage performer, Ben McAteer, with a rapidly developing international career, was not available for the sessions. However, it is hard to imagine a more able substitute than the now veteran Welsh bass-baritone Neal Davies. He has long been a regular performer at the Edinburgh Festival, though has not worked with Scottish Opera in the past decade.

The other performers are as remembered, so particular plaudits first to the excellent chorus and orchestra under Derek Clark's baton. The comic villains are well contrasted, with Richard Suart sounding far more mature than the youthful Arthur Bruce. Yvonne Howard sounds less elderly than most of Gilbert's 'Dames'.  The other fine performers are led by Mark Nathan's clearly enunciated city 'spiv'.

This set is highly enjoyable and is well worth acquiring.